This invention relates generally to roller bearing assemblies, and, more particularly, to pin type retainers for maintaining the correct alignment of bearing rollers.
The most commonly used types of retainers in roller bearing assemblies are cage type and pin type retainers. The cage type retainer is an annular assembly having a series of equally spaced pockets within which the bearing rollers are positioned. While these cages are effective in maintaining the proper orientation of each roller in the bearing races, the structure separating the rollers requires considerable space and reduces the number of rollers in the bearing assembly and, therefore, the load capacity.
Pin type retainers do not have structure between the rollers. Such retainers generally consist of a ring having a plurality of evenly spaced pins extending either radially or axially, as required. Each pin serves as an axle to support a bearing roller in position in the roller bearing assembly.
Because pin type retainers do not have structure between the rollers, they allow bearing assemblies to be more densely populated with rollers. Thus, bearing assemblies with pin type retainers can have greater load capacities than bearing assemblies of the same size with cage type retainers. A pin type retainer is generally assembled from a number of separate parts, including a cast or machined ring and a series of equally spaced pins. These pins extend from the ring and are inserted axially in the rollers to maintain the correct orientation of the rollers.
The manufacture of pin type retainers is costly, requiring the precision assembly of the separate parts. To limit the cost of assembly, some pin type retainers are stamped from flat stock strip material to form teeth. The flat stock is bent into a circle and butted ends are welded to form a cylinder with the teeth pointing in one direction. The pins are then bent or swagged outward at an angle to form the final configuration. Precise forming of the stamped component is difficult, as is fixturing it for machining or swagging the pins to their final shape.
The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in present roller bearing retainers. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features more fully disclosed hereinafter.